Money continues to pour into the House that Rayman built as Ubisoft announced fourth quarter sales growth of 10% to €217 million ($339 million). In addition, the company saw its wallet grow by an impressive 36.4% over the entire fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 by some €928 million ($1.45 billion) driven by "stronger than expected" sales of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (nearly two million units sold), Assassin's Creed(more than six million units sold), and titles from its casual "Games For Everyone" brands.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot called 2007-08 a "remarkable year" thanks to "excellent sales" of established brands and a "steady output of new releases...that have performed exceptionally well." Ubisoft also continues to work towards a sales target of €1 billion, or $1.42 billion, for 2008-09, while the exec set the bar high for his company going forward with an expected growth of "at least 15 percent" in the coming year.

Lastly, Guillemot boasted of a "particularly strong" line-up of titles in the year ahead, including seven existing franchises, five new releases, and a continued focus on bringing more casual games on the Wii and DS, one of which we think should be based solely around counting money.

According to their website, much of Ubisoft's technical support staff has taken this weekend off in observation of Good Friday and Easter. That's all well and good -- but perhaps, when they aren't draining Cadbury eggs or enjoying fine roasted hams, just one of them could take the time to Google their latest release, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, and discover that a good portion of the console gaming world is ready to swear off all things Clancy.

Our tip box has exploded with complaints from owners of the PS3 version of the game -- apparently, a majority of those who try to play online either can't connect or have to suffer staggering amounts of lag. We'd expect a bandwidth epidemic such as this to be patched post-haste -- we guess Ubisoft didn't anticipate we'd actually want to play their game on the first weekend of Eastertide. What, did they think those terrorists would hunt themselves?

It seems Tom Clancy's latest visit to Las Vegas has yielded strikingly similar results to his 2006 outing: Lots of jumping out of helicopters and being shot at by ambidextrous bandits. Some people like that sort of thing, however, and reviews of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 suggest that Ubisoft's second trip down the strip is just for them. This is your last chance too -- the next Vegas game is that one starring Kevin Pereira.

Eurogamer (70/100): "Overall, Vegas 2 feels like an incremental expansion, despite the success of the character-creation feature. The annoying thing is that with a bit more investment these quickfire sequels would feel like true follow-ups, which would go a long way with those of us who've been following the series for the past ten years. As it is, we'll still go to Vegas, but we'll be grumpy on the way home."

IGN (84/100): "The gameplay in Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is awesome; it just isn't as awesome as it was 18 months ago. The main complaint that most gamers are sure to have with RSV2 is that it's simply too similar to the game that we played late in 2006."

Videogamer.com (80/100): "While Rainbow Six Vegas 2 feels more like an add-on than a proper sequel, that shouldn't stop you picking Ubisoft's latest up. The gun-play is excellent, the production values are top notch and the multiplayer game modes will keep you coming back months down the line."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fpsPCPS3rainbow-sixrainbow-six-vegas-2rainbowsixrainbowsixvegasrainbowsixvegas2trailerubisoftweaponsXbox-360Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/rainbow-six-vegas-2-gameplay-video-looks-familiar/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/rainbow-six-vegas-2-gameplay-video-looks-familiar/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/rainbow-six-vegas-2-gameplay-video-looks-familiar/#commentsFiled under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person ShootersFor some reason, watching this gameplay footage for Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 gives us a pretty powerful sense of déjà vu. Either our surreptitious digital overlords just changed something in the Matrix, or we've seen this game before. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you -- we loved the original Vegas, and we're definitely not asking them to reinvent the wheel. But in the first batch of gameplay videos for a sequel, we want to see new, fresh features -- like that revamped Persistent Elite Creation system, or that unlikely (but potentially awesome) boss fight against Mantecore, the white tiger that was responsible for Roy Horn's near-shuffle off this mortal coil.

Eurogamer reports that Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will be shooting up casinos and terrorists before you know it, as Ubisoft has confirmed a March 21st release date for the game.

Vegas 2 will feature numerous improvements over the first Nevada-centric Rainbow Sixgame, including an improved reward system, online co-op, sprinting, and destructible cover. We're assuming March 21 is a worldwide release for the game, although we will confirm with Ubisoft whether that date pertains to North America as well as Europe.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>PCPS3rainbow-sixrainbow-six-vegas-2rainbowsixrainbowsixvegastom-clancytomclancyubisoftXbox-360Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/12/hit-the-strip-with-a-new-rainbow-six-vegas-2-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/12/hit-the-strip-with-a-new-rainbow-six-vegas-2-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/12/hit-the-strip-with-a-new-rainbow-six-vegas-2-trailer/#commentsFiled under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person ShootersEver since the first lackluster trailer was revealed at the 2007 Spike TV VGA's, we've been curious about the direction which Ubisoft is taking our favorite terrorist-hunting franchise, Rainbow Six: Vegas. Sure, we've been promised that that Vegas 2 will improve on the mechanics of the Vegas the first, but we haven't heard much about the storyline for this "part prequel, part sequel".

The newest trailer for the game still doesn't tell us about the subject of Six's Sin City romp, but it does drop a few vague clues. For instance, most of the trailer takes place in a large concert hall. Can we expect to rescue a helpless Celine Dion from a pack of disgruntled Cirque du Soleil performers? We can only hope, as this would provide the greatest video game soundtrack since Revolution X -- but it's a fairly unlikely scenario. Ah, well. Our hearts will go on.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>celinedioncirque du soleilCirqueDuSoleilPS3rainbow-six-vegas-2rainbowsixrainbowsixvegasrainbowsixvegas2ubisoftXbox-360Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/08/reminder-r6v-players-pack-red-edition-now-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/08/reminder-r6v-players-pack-red-edition-now-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/08/reminder-r6v-players-pack-red-edition-now-free/#comments
Just a reminder to all those Rainbow Six: Vegas fans who may have not gotten the memo, the Player's Pack Red Edition has been available to download for free since Friday, the 6th, like the Black Edition when it returned to Marketplace. The pack, if you didn't already know, includes Assassination and Total Conquest game modes, as well as 5 maps, 2 of which are relit. Roof, Doscala Restaurant, and Marshalling Yard are the new maps with Killhouse and Border Town getting the face lift. As they say, the best things in life are free, so go grab the Red Edition if you haven't yet.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>R 6 VR S VR6VRainbow 6 VegasRainbow Six VegasRainbow6VegasRainbowSixVegasRSVUbi SoftUbiSoftSun, 08 Jul 2007 17:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/01/20-discounts-on-r6-vegas-graw-2-and-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/01/20-discounts-on-r6-vegas-graw-2-and-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/01/20-discounts-on-r6-vegas-graw-2-and-more/#commentsLooking for some great video game deals? Well, look no further than Circuit City and the Sunday newspaper ads. This week, Circuit City is slashing $20 off select games including titles like TMNT ($29.99), GRAW 2 ($39.99), Spider-Man 3 ($39.99) andCall of Duty 3 ($39.99). Also, since both the Red and Black Edition Player Packs will be free downloads, why not pick up Rainbow Six Vegas for the low, low price of $39.99 too? You can't pass that up. Maybe new releases are more up your alley, then we advise picking up a free $10 gift card with a Transformers: The Game purchase. And if you're in the market for Shadowrun, purchase it for $37.99 on Windows Vista and Circuit City will throw in a wireless receiver for free!

All deals are available online or in-store, so save a few bucks and pick up some new games to add to your video game library this week.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call of duty 3CallOfDuty3cod 3Cod3dealsdiscountsghost recon advanced warfighter 2GhostReconAdvancedWarfighter2graw 2Graw2r6 vegasR6Vegasrainbow sixrainbow six vegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasshadowrunspider man 3SpiderMan3tmnttransformers the gameTransformersTheGameSun, 01 Jul 2007 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/30/rainbow-six-vegas-red-and-black-edition-now-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/30/rainbow-six-vegas-red-and-black-edition-now-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/30/rainbow-six-vegas-red-and-black-edition-now-free/#commentsYes, you read the headline correctly, because both Rainbow Six VegasPlayers Packs are going to be free for download. Major Nelson just informed us that the Black Edition was pulled from the Marketplace earlier this week, because Ubisoft didn't want the content to cost 800 Microsoft points ... they wanted it to be free! The Black Edition is now available on the Marketplace and is free for download, so go get it! But wait, did you pay for the content before the Black Edition was pulled? Not to worry, because Microsoft will be reimbursing those who paid for the Black Edition within' the next ten weeks. Sweet, isn't it?

But that's not all the good news. As a thank you to the Rainbow Six community, Ubisoft decided to make the Red Edition Player Pack a free download starting next Friday, July 6th. That's a 800 Microsoft point value! But sorry for those who already purchased the Red Edition, because no reimbursements will be made for the content. Ubisoft rocks ... they rock hard!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black editionblack packBlackEditionBlackPackmarketplacerainbow sixrainbow six vegasrainbow six vegas black packRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasRainbowSixVegasBlackPackred editionRedEditiontom clancyTomClancyxblmxbox live marketplaceXboxLiveMarketplaceSat, 30 Jun 2007 00:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/29/shock-and-awe-as-rs-vegas-black-pack-was-meant-to-be-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/29/shock-and-awe-as-rs-vegas-black-pack-was-meant-to-be-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/29/shock-and-awe-as-rs-vegas-black-pack-was-meant-to-be-free/#commentsFiled under: Microsoft Xbox 360, ActionIn one of the more joyful miscommunications of our gaming times, turns out that the Rainbow Six Vegas Black Pack, which spontaneously went missing after being on the marketplace for 800 MS points, was supposed to be free. Yup, you read that right. It "was originally intended to be free content for the fans of Rainbow Six Vegas" according to Major Nelson. All players who purchased will be reimbursed automatically in 8 to 10 weeks. That's a bit long, but we keep hearing that word free and all anger just melts away. The Black Pack will be back on June 30, with the Red Pack being offered for free as "appreciation" on July 6. Now that's what we're talkin' about! For those who purchased the pack, please make sure your account info is up to date so Microsoft can reimburse you properly.

Well, that's a pleasant surprise ... and we were just joking when we said we'd "like to think that Ubisoft was so racked with guilt over charging $10 for five maps (when that amount previously got you five maps and two new modes) that they pulled it." Turns out, they were. So much so that they offered the same content that is already available in the PS3 version of the game for free. That word just doesn't get old. Don't forget to download your free Wii browser while you still can. Free, free, freediddy, free.

So, the Rainbow Six Vegas Black Edition DLC really did appear on Xbox Live. It was brief, but it was there. But now, as you have already found if you've attempted a download over the past day or so, it is most certainly not there. The good Major offers little help on his blog, saying only: "This has been pulled. I'll let you know when it makes a return." Wow, cryptic.

There are, of course, plenty of delightful theories as to why the pack pulled a Judy on Family Matters. Some think that it got on to Marketplace too early, some think a critical bug was discovered. We like to think that Ubisoft was so racked with guilt over charging $10 for five maps (when that amount previously got you five maps and two new modes) that they pulled it. We admit that's not really likely. We'll be sure to update this post when it triumphantly returns.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dlcmajornelsonrainbowsixrainbowsixvegasubisoftvegasXbox-360xbox360xboxliveThu, 28 Jun 2007 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/27/r6-vegas-black-edition-pulled-from-marketplace/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/27/r6-vegas-black-edition-pulled-from-marketplace/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/27/r6-vegas-black-edition-pulled-from-marketplace/#commentsFor unknown reasons, the Rainbow Six Vegas Player's Pack Black Edition downloadable content that released yesterday has been pulled from the XBLM. Major Nelson updated his post stating that new content was pulled, but didn't give a reason for it not being available. Some people who have downloaded the content are stating that the new maps seem to load slower than others, but other than that they didn't find a problem with the Black Edition pack. Stay tuned as we'll be sure to let you know when the content gets placed back onto the Marketplace or when we learn more about what went wrong.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black editionBlackEditionmarketplacerainbow sixrainbow six vegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegastom clancytom clancys rainbow six vegasTomClancyTomClancysRainbowSixVegasubisoftxblmxbox live marketplaceXboxLiveMarketplaceWed, 27 Jun 2007 12:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/26/black-edition-dlc-flanks-from-behind-cover-on-xblm/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/26/black-edition-dlc-flanks-from-behind-cover-on-xblm/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/26/black-edition-dlc-flanks-from-behind-cover-on-xblm/#comments
A new Player's Pack is ready for download for Rainbow Six Vegas that came out of center field. For 800 MS points, the Player's Pack Black Edition brings you get 5 new maps, including classic from the original Rainbow Six 3, Presidio. Other new maps include a remixed Streets, as well newcomers Wartown and Red Lotus. All in all the whole pack comes to 705.5 MB. Did you get the previous Red Edition, which also included new gametypes with its release, and would you pick up the latest, as its only maps this time around?

Quite a well populated list. There's no real way anyone can complain about this week's releases. Unless you're a European The Darkness fan. Don't forget, though. If there's a game that's only available in another region, then feel free to import it. Your PlayStation 3 won't care. Release dates are subject to constant change, so give your local game shop a ring before walking down there.

Which of this week's releases will you be picking up? We've already got our copies of The Darkness ordered.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>euroreleasesHarry PotterHarryPotterRainbow SixRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasreleasesThe BigsThe DarknessTheBigsTheDarknessTom ClancyTomClancyTransformersSun, 24 Jun 2007 08:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/20/metareview-tom-clancys-rainbow-six-vegas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/20/metareview-tom-clancys-rainbow-six-vegas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/20/metareview-tom-clancys-rainbow-six-vegas/#commentsPublisher Ubisoft was hush-hush about this quietly released PSP version of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas. We showed our readers early footage from the game, and it appeared that opinions were quite mixed on the game. The critics, on the other hand, are quite unanimous in their opinion:

Game Almighty (55/100) - "All in all, Rainbow Six: Vegas for the PSP falls short of the lofty standards set by this franchise. It doesn't perform the way you'd expect from a Tom Clancy game."

GameSpot (68/100) thinks the game could've been more: "The short campaign and limited multiplayer detract from what is otherwise a solid PSP shooter."

Gamer 2.0 (78/100) agrees with GameSpot: the game just needed to offer more: "Vegas doesn't quite have enough entertainment value to be worth it for anyone but the most hardcore of Rainbow Six fans."

The game currently has a Metascore of 59 from the critics. Do you agree? Do you disagree?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>metacriticmetareviewrainbow sixrainbow six vegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasWed, 20 Jun 2007 10:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/14/virtually-playing-rainbow-six-vegas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/14/virtually-playing-rainbow-six-vegas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/14/virtually-playing-rainbow-six-vegas/#comments
Although Rainbow Six Vegas is now available to purchase, it appears that no one has received any review copies: our site certainly didn't, and the major outlets (IGN, Gamespot) also appear to be in the dark. Can a publisher be really confident in their product if they won't send out review copies?

While we haven't had a chance to play, there are eager PSP gamers out there that have. PSP GadgetZ has taken the time to record some footage of the game, load times and all. Watching this is the closest thing we have to playing the game. How does it look to you? Do any of our readers own a copy? Let us know.

Straight from this week's Sony's Gamer's Day comes three beautiful looking shots of the PlayStation 3 version of Rainbow Six: Vegas. We've been waiting for this title for a while, can't wait for it personally. I just hope that they're able to keep the online play as good as the 360's play is. As usual, the screenshots look excellent. Look for this game on shelves on the 12th of June.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Rainbow SixRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasSGDSGD 07Sgd07Sony Gamer's DaySonyGamer'sDayTom ClancyTomClancyVegasThu, 17 May 2007 07:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/30/pa-shows-the-less-than-sexy-side-of-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/30/pa-shows-the-less-than-sexy-side-of-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/30/pa-shows-the-less-than-sexy-side-of-live/#commentsSo, earlier today we gave you a guide on how to be an A-hole, which is all good and weel. While, on the other hand, the guys over at Penny Arcade told their account of running into someone who was just downright creepy. To their credit, they did show a good idea on a feature that should be added to a future dash update when filing a complaint just doesn't cut. So, make the jump, have a laugh, and maybe shed a tear for those who run into people like this daily. That all being said, if this really weirded you out, don't worry, we got something lined up for you that'll brighten your day.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>LiveP APAPenny ArcadePennyArcadeR 6 VR S VR6VRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixVegasRSVXbox LiveXboxLiveMon, 30 Apr 2007 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/vegas-red-edition-dlc-to-hit-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/vegas-red-edition-dlc-to-hit-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/vegas-red-edition-dlc-to-hit-next-week/#commentsIn IGN's latest preview of Rainbow Six: Vegas' Player's Pack Red Edition, they reveal that the release date is slated for next Thursday, the 18th [sic]. This information should put some restless gamer's minds at ease, as the content was originally supposed to come out in March. The price point was not confirmed, except for the fact that it will be under 1,000 Microsoft Points off of Marketplace. Hopefully this has been worth the wait, will you be picking it up, and at what price?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>R 6 VR S VR6VRainbow 6 VegasRainbow 6: VegasRainbow Six VegasRainbow Six: VegasRainbow6:VegasRainbow6VegasRainbowSix:VegasRainbowSixVegasRSVTom ClancyTom Clancy's Rainbow Six VegasTomClancyTomClancy'sRainbowSixVegasUbisoftTue, 10 Apr 2007 12:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/31/r6-vegas-red-edition-dlc-delayed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/31/r6-vegas-red-edition-dlc-delayed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/31/r6-vegas-red-edition-dlc-delayed/#commentsWell, there's about half an hour left in March, and we it looks like Rainbow Six: Vegas' downloadable content, the Player's Pack Red Edition, did not make it to Marketplace as Ubisoft would have hoped. The pack is currently still under development, and Ubisoft will be sure to let the community know when there is news regarding its availability. That being said, Ubisoft stated that there has been no change in what's to be included in Red Edition since its announcement. So, while you continue to wait, you might as well refresh your memory on how it looks, too.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Downloadable ContentDownloadableContentR 6 VR 6 VegasR6VR6VegasRainbow 6 VegasRainbow Six VegasRainbow6VegasRainbowSixVegasSat, 31 Mar 2007 23:35:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/16/vision-shenanigans-r6-vegas-baby/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/16/vision-shenanigans-r6-vegas-baby/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/16/vision-shenanigans-r6-vegas-baby/#commentsYou find the damnedest things cruising Flickr. Today we found this picture taken from Rainbow Six Vegas created by frasermoo. Yes, that is the face of an infant. The face of an infant mounted onto a lethal terrorist killing machine to be specific. While we can't argue the hilarity of such a juxtaposition, we do have to question the logistics of such an endeavor. What had to be done to keep this child still enough to capture his face this accurately? What nefarious harnesses were put to use for the sole sake of creating a humorous avatar? Hopefully, this baby has a penchant for sitting perfectly still and looking cute all the time.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fan stuffFanStuffflickrr6 vegasR6Vegasrainbow six vegasRainbowSixVegasvegasvisionvision cameraVisionCameraFri, 16 Mar 2007 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/14/those-are-the-lamest-achievements-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/14/those-are-the-lamest-achievements-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/14/those-are-the-lamest-achievements-ever/#commentsThe hip and trendy kids over at G4's The Feed put together a list of what they think are the 17 lamest Xbox 360 achievements to date. Horrible games like Bomberman Act Zero and NBA Live '07 made the list as well as our favorites like Gears of War and Rainbow Six Vegas. We agree with most of their picks, but really agree with hating NBA Live's "Online With 1,000 People", GRAW's "Committed (Multiplayer)" and FFXI's ridiculous "Reach Level 75 with each character class". We guess this article made us further realize that there are truly lame achievements out there and that we have to be careful. Remember, friends don't let friends spend days on end trying to earn lame achievements. It's one epidemic that we can stop.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementsbomberman act zeroBombermanActZeroffxifinal fantasy xiFinalFantasyXigearsgears of warGearsOfWarghost recon advanced warfighterGhostReconAdvancedWarfightergowgrawnba live 07NbaLive07rainbow six vegasRainbowSixVegasWed, 14 Mar 2007 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/live-top-ten-xbla-arrival/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/live-top-ten-xbla-arrival/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/12/live-top-ten-xbla-arrival/#commentsThis week on Xbox Live we see half of the titles holding last week's position, with Gears of War, Crackdown, Rainbow Six: Vegas, Call of Duty 3, and Oblivion keeping their respective first, second, third, fourth and ninth place in the list. We also get treated to having two Xbox Live Arcade titles make it into the mix, with Alien Hominid HD rounding out the top half, and Worms taking in the number seven spot. GRAW 2's multiplayer demo stakes placement between the Arcade arrivals, with Madden NFL 07 and Lost Planet both moving down two spots from last week's standings to finish off the ranking. As per our tradition, we have a list for you with the previous placement in parentheses after the break.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>C o D 3Call of Duty 3CallOfDuty3COD3G o WGears of WarGearsOfWarGOWLive Top TenLiveTopTenR 6 VR6VRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixVegasMon, 12 Mar 2007 11:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/08/rainbow-six-vegas-gets-the-patch-treatment/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/08/rainbow-six-vegas-gets-the-patch-treatment/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/08/rainbow-six-vegas-gets-the-patch-treatment/#commentsIf you've played Rainbow Six Vegas since Tuesday, you'll know that there was a patch you had to download earlier in the week. And this isn't a boring little patch, oh no. This is a gameplay changing, bug fixing, behemoth of a patch. Ubi_Rickas originally posted the full details of the patch on the official forums, outlining what Ubisoft fixed. Among the biggest changes made was making the weapons a little more balanced (per community feedback), quicker loading for customized faces, host can no longer kick a player during the game, and many other tweaks. A full list of changes are listed after the jump. Are there any Rainbow Six Vegas fans who've been playing with the patch applied, and if so, what are your impressions of the new tweaks?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>patchrainbow sixrainbow six vegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegastom clancyTomClancyubisoftxbox liveXboxLiveThu, 08 Mar 2007 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/13/rainbow-six-vegas-downloadable-content-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/13/rainbow-six-vegas-downloadable-content-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/13/rainbow-six-vegas-downloadable-content-revealed/#commentsFiled under: Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person ShootersNew game modes and multiplayer maps comprise the first downloadable content pack for Ubisoft's first-person terrorist foiler, Rainbow Six: Vegas. Eurogamer reports that the Player's Pack Red Edition should find its way onto the Xbox Live Marketplace before the end of March. Of the two new gameplay modes, Assassination sounds like it could provide for some tense moments. One team must protect and escort a fragile and likely paranoid VIP to an extraction point, while the opposing team attempts to make said very important person a very dead one instead.

Total Conquest, on the other hand, is closer to King of the Hill, except with royalty being ordained by three seperate radar installations. As for the added multiplayer maps, two are altered versions of existing levels, namely Border Town and Killhouse, and three are brand new. These include "Doscala Restaurant," "Marshalling Yard" and the extraordinarily descriptive "Roof," which is actually a coffee factory crawling with terrorists and, you know, brewing up trouble. (OOF!)

Ubisoft has not yet appended a price tag to the content, but our expectations are set between 800 points ($10) and 1200 points ($15). Player's Pack Red Edition is currently exclusive to the Xbox 360 version of Rainbow Six: Vegas.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Rainbow SixRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasTom ClancyTomClancyUbisoftXbox Live MarketplaceXbox-360XboxLiveMarketplaceTue, 13 Feb 2007 10:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/04/crackdown-demo-climbs-up-top-live-titles/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/04/crackdown-demo-climbs-up-top-live-titles/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/04/crackdown-demo-climbs-up-top-live-titles/#commentsYesterday, Major Nelson released his weekly report regarding the Xbox Live activity, and the results caught us off guard. No, Halo 2 didn't beat out Gears of War due to the Halo 3 beta's Rule of 3 phase. Crackdown's demo came in 2nd for unique users on Xbox Live. It even toppled Rainbow Six Vegas, which is equally surprising. Obviously the game is a lot of fun and people are enjoying the demo, and doesn't need a marketing ploy to sell copies. The thing that we're curious about is how the Crackdown demo compared to Halo 2's unique user count? Then again, perhaps the Rule of Three kept Halo 2 as second overall between Xbox and Xbox 360 combined. So, obviously, some of you must have been playing the demo, have you done anything cool this past week in Crackdown?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Crackdown DemoCrackdownDemoGears of WarGearsOfWarHalo 3 BetaHalo3BetaMajor NelsonMajorNelsonMGSMicrosoft Game StudiosMicrosoftGameStudiosPhases 2Phases2Rainbow Six VegasRainbowSixVegasRealtime WorldsRealtimeWorldsRenderwareRule of ThreeRuleOfThreeXbox Live ActivityXboxLiveActivitySun, 04 Feb 2007 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/rumor-new-maps-headed-for-r6-vegas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/rumor-new-maps-headed-for-r6-vegas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/rumor-new-maps-headed-for-r6-vegas/#commentsThe latest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine apparently spills the beans on new Rainbow Six: Vegascontent. The content supposedly contains ten new maps and two new multiplayer modes for 800 MS points. One of the new game types, Assassination, requires players to protect their player controlled VIP and attempt to assassinate the opposing team's VIP. Conquest asks players to maintain control over certain sections of the map, similar to King of the Hill and Territories game types in other games. The content is scheduled to arrive in March.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>r6 vegasR6Vegasrainbowsix vegasRainbowsixVegastom clancyTomClancyubisoftvegasFri, 02 Feb 2007 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/12/rainbow-six-vegas-goes-mobile/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/12/rainbow-six-vegas-goes-mobile/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/12/rainbow-six-vegas-goes-mobile/#commentsFiled under: Portable, Wireless, Action, StrategyThis ain't your Xbox's Rainbow Six, but Wired's GameLife was impressed by Gameloft's version of Rainbow Six Vegas for the mobile platform -- at least for the duration of a 10-minute play session. The first two stages featured some variety, including a sniper task (pictured) and then a casino assault. GameLife noted that the second stage worked particularly well because players simply control a cursor; it's essentially a point-n-click action game.

Gameloft has a lot of experience developing mobile games, including 11 previous Tom Clancy titles. Last summer, the company was named the 'Best Mobile Games Studio' at the Develop Conference & Expo.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cell PhoneCellPhoneGameloftMobileRainbow SixRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasTom ClancyTomClancyFri, 12 Jan 2007 02:26:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/04/double-agent-and-vegas-for-39-99/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/04/double-agent-and-vegas-for-39-99/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/04/double-agent-and-vegas-for-39-99/#commentsMajor Nelson brings word that Best Buy has Rainbow Six: Vegas on sale for $39.99. We checked it out and found out that Splinter Cell: Double Agent is available for $39.99 as well. If you've been waiting to pick up either one of these games, you could do a lot worse than a $20 discount. While you're at it, you may want to pick up a copy of Project 8 or Madden 07, which are on sale for the slightly less attractive price of $49.99. As an added bonus, you can get an additional $10 off of any of these titles if you pre-orderLost Planet. Vegas for $29? Not bad. Anyone else find any good deals today?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double agentDoubleAgentmadden 07Madden07major nelsonMajorNelsonproject 8Project8rainbow six vegasRainbowSixVegasscdavegasThu, 04 Jan 2007 16:05:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/22/get-your-vote-on-gamespots-game-of-the-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/22/get-your-vote-on-gamespots-game-of-the-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/22/get-your-vote-on-gamespots-game-of-the-year/#comments
It's the end of one long gaming year and that could only mean one thing, Gamespot has just announced its nominees for 2006 Game of the Year. Among the ten nominees there are quite a few great 360 games on the list including Dead Rising, Oblivion, Rainbow Six Vegas, Viva Piñata, and our little engine that could Gears of War. It's nice to see that so many high profile games from the 360 made the list and that Oblivion may have some of its stiffest competition yet. Visit their site, vote for who you think deserves the crown, and wait patiently for the winner to be announced. It's a difficult decision so we're totally opting for a write-in and voting for Viva Gears Rising ... that's one great game.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CapcomCapcom-Production-Studio-1Dead-Risingelder scrolls oblivionElderScrollsObliviongears of warGearsOfWargowoblivionrainbow six vegasRainbowSixVegasSurvival-Horrortom clancyTomClancyviva pinataVivaPinataFri, 22 Dec 2006 12:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/frag-dolls-pwn-rainbow-six-cpl-tourney-first-pro-win/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/frag-dolls-pwn-rainbow-six-cpl-tourney-first-pro-win/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/frag-dolls-pwn-rainbow-six-cpl-tourney-first-pro-win/#commentsFiled under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters, Competitive GamingThe Frag Dolls won their first pro-circuit event last night, beating "The Unknown" to earn first place in the 4v4 Rainbow Six Vegas competition at Winter CPL. Aside from being the Frag Dolls' first big victory, it appears that this is also the first time an all-female team has won a (co-ed) pro-circuit tournament. Valkyrie, Seppuku, Calyber, and Psyche (all pictured) proved to be the winning combination for the Ubisoft-sponsored team.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>360Co-edCompetitionCPLCyberathlete Professional LeagueCyberathleteProfessionalLeagueFrag DollsFragDollsRainbow SixRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasTournamentUbisoftXbox 360Xbox-360Xbox360Thu, 21 Dec 2006 22:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/rainbow-six-vegas-patched-can-you-hear-me-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/rainbow-six-vegas-patched-can-you-hear-me-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/rainbow-six-vegas-patched-can-you-hear-me-now/#commentsFiled under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters, Online, StrategyRainbow Six Vegas' voice chat issue, along with a scrolling list of additional bugs, have been patched up with today's arrival of the promised auto-update. The severity of some of these issues has drawn sharp criticism from players, some of whom have given up on Vegas. With the patch deployed, will they return?

Ubisoft would do well to learn from Capcom's recent exercise, when the company released a multiplayer demo of Lost Planet early enough to receive feedback from fans and correct issues in time for the game's launch. Sure, Vegas hasn't been on the market for long, but three weeks is enough time to sour our perceptions.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CapcomDemoDownloadLost PlanetLostPlanetMultiplayerPatchRainbow SixRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasUbisoftUpdateXbox LiveXbox-360XboxLiveThu, 14 Dec 2006 15:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/what-happens-in-vegas-gets-patched/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/what-happens-in-vegas-gets-patched/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/what-happens-in-vegas-gets-patched/#commentsThose of you dealing with bugs in Rainbow Six Vegas every day, lift up your hands in joy, for a patch has been released. The patch will be applied by an auto update the next time players load Vegas. The patch fixes numerous issues, most notably the voice bug that has rendered the game nearly unplayable for some. The patch also fixes a number of crashing issues and removes proximity chat for some reason. Check out the Vegas forums for a complete list of all fixes.

Have any of you been so frustrated by these bugs that you stopped playing?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>patchr6r6 vegasR6Vegasrainbow sixrainbow six vegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasubisoftvegasThu, 14 Dec 2006 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/ubi-to-doctor-rainbow-six/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/ubi-to-doctor-rainbow-six/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/ubi-to-doctor-rainbow-six/#commentsFiled under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters, Online, StrategyUbisoft has released a list of some 36 gameplay issues that will be addressed in an upcoming Rainbow Six Vegas patch, including the now infamous voice chat bug. This latest development adds to the growing concern that console titles, particularly their online modes, are being governed by a 'ship now, fix later' mentality.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CommunicationHeadsetMultiplayerPatchRainbow SixRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixRainbowSixVegasTom ClancyTomClancyUbisoftVoice ChatVoiceChatXbox LiveXbox-360XboxLiveThu, 07 Dec 2006 22:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/vegas-face-mapping-and-you-a-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/vegas-face-mapping-and-you-a-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/vegas-face-mapping-and-you-a-video/#commentsWe recently brought you Major Nelson's Vegas face mapping results, but those were merely pictures. Today we bring you the holy grail of face mapping evidence: video. It seems that the overall goal of face mapping, however, is not to map normal faces. If our previous commenters are to be believed, Vegas players have been trying all kinds of head gear, from sun glasses to Spiderman masks. It's fitting, then, that this video features a woman using the face mapping feature to give Xbox Live a permanent raspberry. Check out the video and tell us what creative things you've done with your Vegas avatar.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cameraface mappingFaceMappingr6 vegasR6Vegasrainbow six vegasRainbowSixVegasrb6 vegasRb6Vegasubisoftvegasvisionvision cameraVisionCameraThu, 30 Nov 2006 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/vegas-face-mapping-larry-meet-larry/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/vegas-face-mapping-larry-meet-larry/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/vegas-face-mapping-larry-meet-larry/#commentsLarry Hryb, AKA Major Nelson, recently posted the results of his Rainbow Six Vegas facial mapping on his Flickr site. How does it look? Pretty good actually. We mocked up his in game avatar next to his real life mug in the image above. Vegas fans out there may be wondering how Major Nelson came by those cool shades and hat in Vegas. Does he have access to special content because he works for Microsoft? Nope, he was actually wearing those things when he captured his face with the Vision camera. Knowing this, we can only imagine the lengths that some people might go to in order to really customize their character. You want pink and blue camouflage face paint (you know, for sneaking around a cotton candy machine)? Just paint yourself up and take a picture! In theory, you could add anything to your face before you take the picture: tattoos, fake scars, crazy contact lenses, the possibilities are endless.

Now that you've seen the results, will you try anything special to customize your character?

Vegas will no doubt live in Gears' shadow this holiday, but series' followers know that Rainbow Six offers its own brand of 'thoughtful' combat. Indeed, it's the team-based multiplayer that will propel Vegas up the Xbox Live popularity chart. Rainbow Six is back.

Game Informer (95/100) - "While the single-player mode is great, the multiplayer may be the best thing to come to Xbox Live since Halo 2 ... the best addition in the game, though, is without a doubt the four-player co-op. You and three of your friends can now experience the entire single-player campaign together as one Rainbow Six squad. Note to game developers: Every first-person shooter should feature this mode from this day forward."

Games Radar (90/100) - "Deathmatch-style modes do exist and are definitely entertaining, but it's team play -- much like in the single player campaign -- that will keep you coming back ... the game's greatest feat is adding strategy to the first person shooter and getting the player -- whether working alone or with others -- to occasionally stop, forget about the gun and just think."

1UP (85/100) - "There can be no doubt that the reception of Rainbow Six Vegas will be somewhat tainted by the release of Gears of War. While the two games are very different stylistically, they share some fundamental gameplay mechanics, and both suffer from the same problem: namely, bland-but-competent online gameplay."

Both single-player and Xbox Live multiplayer demos are also available for download on 360's marketplace, for those that want to test the waters before leaping in. While not as visually arresting, Vegas' multiplayer has the depth to outlast Gears fo War.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>multiplayerPCPS3PSPRainbow Six VegasRainbowSixVegasTom ClancyTomClancyUbisoftXbox LiveXbox-360XboxLiveWed, 22 Nov 2006 17:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/20/pa-ditches-gow-for-vegas-will-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/20/pa-ditches-gow-for-vegas-will-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/20/pa-ditches-gow-for-vegas-will-you/#commentsIn their latest update, Penny Arcade informs the world that they have switched from Gears of War to Rainbow Six Vegas as their game of choice -- though Tycho admits he was against the idea. The reasons for the switch are about what you would expect: Vegas is what some would call more "hardcore." Kills are near instantaneous, weapon choices are numerous, player counts are higher, the cover system is (arguably) more flexible than Gears, and Vegas has a robust persistent online structure. I had a feeling after playing the Vegasmultiplayer demo that it might become the hardcore game of choice, much like Rainbow Six 3 was on the original Xbox.

However, just because it's more hardcore does not mean that it will be more popular. If that were the case, Halo 2 would have been knocked from the Live top spot long ago. Will Vegas topple the new Gears behemoth? Well, no. No it won't. There are many reasons for this, but the main reason is that Vegas simply isn't as accessible as Gears. Even if pressing "A" can have undesired results in Gears -- diving from cover instead of rolling around the edge for instance -- it's still a more friendly setup for the masses (compared to Vegas' use of the left trigger). Also, the weapons of Vegas can be daunting to the uninitiated, as the advantages of one machine gun over another may elude the average gamer. And of course, there is the quibble that Vegas looks nowhere near as good as Gears, despite the fact that they run on the same engine. It seems minor, but graphics alone were enough to turn many of our readers off of the demo, despite how fun it is to play.

What are your thoughts? Will the hardcore, fast tactics of Vegas lure you in, or do you prefer the polished, simpler destruction of Gears?